California State University-San Bernardino vs. Cal State Long Beach

Should I go to California State University San Bernardino or California State University Long Beach? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if California State University-San Bernardino or Cal State Long Beach is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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California State University San Bernardino vs. California State University Long Beach comparison
California State University San Bernardino California State University Long Beach College 3 College 4
California State University San Bernardino California State University Long Beach
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Overview

California State University-San Bernardino Cal State Long Beach
Location San Bernardino, CA Long Beach, CA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 18,925 40,278
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #902 #505
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csusb.edu csulb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-San Bernardino Cal State Long Beach
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $12,996 $15,612
Avg Net Price $6,645 $9,731
Avg Grant Aid $10,421 $10,512
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 77%

Admission

California State University-San Bernardino Cal State Long Beach
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 12,772 79,680
Admitted 12,548 37,547
Acceptance Rate 98.2% 47.1%
Enrolled % 17.9% 15.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.7
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 15/20 20/26
SAT Range 910/1080 1020/1240
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

California State University-San Bernardino Cal State Long Beach
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

California State University-San Bernardino Cal State Long Beach
Graduation Rate 45% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,800 $51,100
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,500 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $170 $155

Diversity

California State University-San Bernardino Cal State Long Beach
% Men 6% 6%
% Women 10% 9%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 14% 19%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 61% 39%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 7% 6%
% Unknown Race 4% 4%

Students

California State University-San Bernardino Cal State Long Beach
% In-State 98% 97%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

California State University-San Bernardino Cal State Long Beach
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Long Beach is larger than than California State University-San Bernardino based on total student enrollment (40,278 students vs. 18,925 students)

California State University-San Bernardino vs. Cal State Long Beach Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-San Bernardino or Cal State Long Beach?

  • California State University San Bernardino and Cal State Long Beach cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at California State University-San Bernardino as California State University Long Beach ($17,622.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University San Bernardino than Cal State Long Beach ($6,645 vs. $9,731)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University San Bernardino are 20.1% lower than costs at California State University Long Beach ($12,996 vs. $15,612)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University San Bernardino than California State University Long Beach (85% vs. 77%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Long Beach students is 0.9% larger than aid received California State University San Bernardino ($10,512 vs. $10,421)

California State University-San Bernardino vs. Cal State Long Beach Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-San Bernardino or Cal State Long Beach? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cal State Long Beach or California State University-San Bernardino .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Long Beach (1056) is 169 points higher than at California State University-San Bernardino (887)
  • Incoming Cal State Long Beach students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at California State University-San Bernardino (18)
  • Accepted freshman Cal State Long Beach students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at California State University-San Bernardino (3.41)
  • California State University-San Bernardino has a higher acceptance rate (98.2%) than Cal State Long Beach (47.1%)

California State University-San Bernardino vs. Cal State Long Beach Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-San Bernardino or Cal State Long Beach? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cal State Long Beach and California State University-San Bernardino.

  • The graduation rate at Cal State Long Beach is higher than California State University San Bernardino (54% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from California State University Long Beach earn on average $4,300 more per year than California State University-San Bernardino graduates after ten years. ($51,100 vs. $46,800)
  • California State University Long Beach students graduate with a $1,500 lower median federal student loan debt than California State University-San Bernardino graduates. ($15,000 vs. $16,500)
  • Cal State Long Beach graduates are paying $15 less per month on federal student loans than California State University-San Bernardino graduates. ($155 vs. $170)
  • More Cal State Long Beach graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-San Bernardino students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 51%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/